


the yule ball

by westofmoon



Series: Throne of Glass x Harry Potter au drabbles [4]
Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mutual Pining, ToGxHP au, Yule Ball, cute and fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-18 07:02:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21840193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westofmoon/pseuds/westofmoon
Summary: "I thought that you would ask me to dance"Days 3 and 7 of my 17 Days of Rowaelin Drabbles.
Relationships: Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien & Rowan Whitethorn, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius | Celaena Sardothien/Rowan Whitethorn, Rowaelin - Relationship
Series: Throne of Glass x Harry Potter au drabbles [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1502036
Kudos: 48





	1. want me to go with you?

**Author's Note:**

> I thought that I would post parts 1 and 2 together.
> 
> Aelin is a 4th year, Rowan is 5th.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 3.

Rowan leaned against the wall opposite the Great Hall doors. His fingers tugged idly at the end of his green and silver tie as he awaited for Aelin to be released from her dancing lessons; mandatory, now that she was one of the champions selected for the Tri Wizard Tournament. 

As much as he hated the idea, if she wasn’t out soon, he would have to leave in order to make it to his next class in time.

Thankfully, though, the doors swung open and Aelin came limping out, face twisted into a scowl. He grinned as he heard her muttering darkly about how she wanted to hex someone.

She glanced up then and her turquoise and gold eyes brightened when she saw him, her entire face lighting up as she made her way over to him. Rowan smiled down at her, vaguely aware of Sam Cortland exiting the Great Hall behind her. He gave Aelin a strange look and then threw a quick glare at Rowan before storming off down the hall.

“I swear I’m going to turn Benson into an urchin,” Aelin grumbled, referring to a boy from the Wendlyn school who was helping with the lessons.

Rowan laughed softly as they began walking down the hall. “It couldn’t have been that bad?”

“He stepped on my feet over a hundred times!” she exclaimed.

Ah, so that was why she was limping. Her feet were probably killing her.

Aelin went on, her expression falling again, “If this keeps up every practice, I won’t be able to dance at the stupid Ball.”

Rowan arched a brow at her word choice. “I never thought I’d see the day you would complain about being the center of attention, fireheart,” he said jokingly, placing a hand on her elbow to help her ease down the stairs on her sore feet. 

“Normally, I would love it,” she agreed, shrugging a shoulder. “I love dancing. And of course, I have a nice dress…” She actually grinned a bit at that.

“Of course you do,” he laughed.

She preened, smiling at him. “I do nothing halfway, Rowan.” But then her mouth twisted into a frown. “But it’s just this competition. Trying to figure out the next task and who put my name into the cup and _why_. It’s a lot at once.” She scrubbed her face with her hands. “And then add in trying to find a date,” she added with a forced laugh.

Rowan’s brows drew together in confusion. A few weeks ago, he had jokingly said he wasn’t going to dance with anyone when Aelin had mentioned the ball. He should have known better than to joke about it, especially when he _knew_ how stressed over the competition she had been. He hadn’t thought about how it would only add to her already full plate. If he had, he never would have said it. 

Besides, she was his best friend, of course he would go with her if it was what she wanted. Even if Rowan cared more about her than just as a friend. Even though the thought of dancing with her, of holding her close, it made his stomach flip pleasantly.

Although, Rowan did find it a bit strange that she hadn’t brought the Ball up since he had made that joke. Maybe she hadn’t realized he was only kidding, given how preoccupied she had been lately.

So he gave her a playful grin. “Well, it’s a good thing you have me, right? And I promise I won’t step on your toes when we dance. So that’s a few less things to worry about,” he said, laughing.

But Aelin didn’t react as he expected. There was no relief, no mischievous little grin tugging at her lips. She didn’t laugh and her brilliant eyes didn’t light up. 

Instead a look akin to horror crossed her features. And a sinking feeling filled Rowan’s stomach. “Y-you do want me to go with you… right?” he asked, the look on her face stealing his breath and making the word’s sound almost hesitant.

At his words, Aelin stopped walking in the middle of the hall, still looking at him strangely. “You _are_ going to go?”

Rowan nodded absently. “Of course, Aelin. I was never going to leave you to go through that by yourself.” He tried to keep his voice light and reassuring, even though it was all he could do to get the words out. Because he knew that whatever she was going to tell him was going to hurt. 

“You said you weren’t going,” Aelin said, averting her gaze as if she were suddenly afraid to look at him. 

He ducked his head, trying to get her to look at him again. “I was only joking, fireheart. Of course I was going to go with you.”

“But I thought-” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “I thought you weren’t going to go so I…” She paused, swallowing nervously. And slowly, so very slowly, her eyes rose to his. And the look in them nearly gutted him. “I agreed to go with Sam.”

“Sam?” Rowan asked. It felt as if the floor was being pulled out from beneath his feet in slow motion. 

Aelin nodded. “I mean it made sense,” she shrugged, trying to explain. “Since we’re both Champions from the same school and all, he thought that…" 

Rowan barely registered her words. 

Sam Cortland. She was going with Sam Cortland. The boy she had had a crush on her entire second and third year. He should have know this was coming. Especially after that look Sam had thrown their way when they left the Great Hall. 

"Yeah, it makes sense,” Rowan agreed, forcing a smile to his lips. “I’m sure you’ll have fun. I’ll just find someone else to go with. That way I’ll still be there to provide you with some moral support.” He forced out a small laugh, trying to tease her. 

But his heart wasn’t in it. Not when it had been effectively ripped out.

Aelin nodded again, biting her lip once more. She picked at her fingernails nervously, looking as if she were trying to think of something to say. “Rowan, I-”

“I’ll see you later, yeah? I have to go before I’m late for class. I’ll see you at dinner.” And with that, Rowan turned and quickly made his way down the hall, not waiting for her to reply.

Because he knew if he had stood there for even a second longer, he wouldn’t have been able to hide from her just how much his heart was breaking.


	2. dance with me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 7.

Aelin was laughing as she staggered over to the banquet table to find something to drink. She had just finished a dance with her friends, Elide and Nehemia and Nesryn. Lysandra had vanished halfway through the song and unsurprisingly, so had Aedion. It wasn’t much of a mystery as to where they had gone off to.

She decided to pay Rowan a visit while she took a break before the next dance, maybe take a walk about the Gardens to for some fresh air. But as she made her way closer to the table where he had been sitting all evening, she saw that he wasn’t there. A quick glance around the Hall revealed that he wasn’t anywhere. 

The room was rather warm. Perhaps he had the same idea as she had and had gone outside for a walk? 

She walked over to the glass doors leading out into the gardens and stepped out into the cold evening air. Her pale gold dress sparkled in the moonlight peeking through the clouds as she walked the pathways around the garden, which had thankfully been cleared of the snow that had fallen throughout the day. But the lace sleeves did little to keep the her arms warm.

There were more than a few couples in the gardens stealing some alone time amongst the hedges, but Rowan wasn’t outside. Unless she had missed him and he had already returned to the Hall. 

So Aelin went back in. Just inside the doors, she paused to glance around the Hall again.

“Looking for someone?” a voice asked from behind her. Aelin turned to find Sartaq smiling at her knowingly, a dark brow arched. He looked quite handsome in his traditional Antican clothing, and, as usual, his long black hair adorned with a few braids. 

Sartaq was carrying two drinks, obviously one for himself and another for Nesryn. Aelin had never seen her friend look so happy than when she was with the young man from the Antican School. Her dark eyes were always bright and lively, and there was always a smile on her lovely face.

Aelin vaguely wondered if her own face would have looked so obviously happy to everyone if she had danced with Rowan tonight. She quickly shook her head to dismiss the thought. “Sartaq,” she greeted, smiling. “Um, you didn’t happen to see Rowan while I was out, did you?”

“The silver haired fellow? He left some time ago,” Sartaq responded, nodding towards the Great Hall doors.

Aelin’s expression fell. “Oh. Thank you.”

Sartaq nodded and wandered back over to where Nesryn was waiting for him, with a group containing several of his siblings, Hassar’s girlfriend, Renia, Borte and Yeran. 

Aelin turned her attention towards the doors. Rowan had left? And he hadn’t said goodbye. She couldn’t blame him, really. She had gotten distracted with the dancing and hadn’t gone over to talk to him for some time. 

She suddenly didn’t feel much like dancing any longer. 

As Aelin slipped between the other students, making her way towards the doors, she looked around the Hall one last time. At the couples still dancing, Nehemia and Fenrys among them. She spied Chaol and Yrene. Even Lyria, who’s glares Aelin had endured any time she had tried to speak to Rowan this evening, was dancing with some boy from the Wendlyn school. 

She also noticed that Sam was still staring at her. She really did feel bad about ditching him after that first obligatory dance. Instead, she had gone off with her friends, despite him repeatedly asking her for another dance. But Sam wasn’t who she had wanted to dance with. 

It was getting late and people were starting to wander back to their common rooms, anyways. No one would miss her. So Aelin excused herself, and slowly made her way back upstairs.

She ignored Mort’s grumbling at being woken up _yet again_ , and went inside their common room. The place was empty. Rowan must have already gone up to bed. 

With a disappointed sigh, Aelin climbed the stairs to the girls dormitory, her dress shimmering in the light from the candles in the wall sconces. Her feet were sore and aching in her golden slippers, and she was exhausted. But not only from the dancing. 

Mostly from trying to hold all of her anxiety over the competition in check. And even through she had had fun, and the stress had slipped from her mind more than a few times throughout the evening, it was always there. Hovering. Waiting to crash back down upon her like a wave. 

In those moments, she had craved the comfort only her best friend could give. So she had tried to steal a few moments to speak with him, but they were always interrupted. However, each time he caught her looking, he had flashed her a smile.

She couldn’t deny that it still stung a bit that Rowan had shown up to the Ball with Lyria. But he hadn’t danced with her; he hadn’t danced with anyone. Instead he had just sat at a table off to the side and watched everyone else. Besides, she had no room to be offended at his choice of date, considering she had also attended with her own ex.

Aelin changed into her pajamas and crawled into her bed. Gods, she was tired. And it was so late, well after midnight now, in the early hours of Yulemas morning.

But as the seconds, and then the minutes ticked by, and then an hour, sleep would not come. 

Eventually, Nesryn and Lysandra and Nehemia returned, laughing and talking quietly amongst themselves as they changed out of their dresses and climbed into their own beds. Aelin feigned sleep until she was sure that they were all asleep.

And then she got out of bed and tiptoed back down the stairs to the common room in the dim candlelight. But as she made her way over to the big green chairs before the fireplace, she realized that one of them was occupied.

Silver hair shined in the firelight. Pine green eyes rose to hers, blinking in surprise. Rowan. 

“Fireheart, what are you doing up?” he asked quietly, his voice soft. 

Aelin wrapped her arms around herself, worrying her lip. “I couldn’t sleep. What are you…?”

“Same.” He scooted over in the chair, making space for her and giving her a small, crooked smile.

With a grin, Aelin sat down beside him. 

For a long time they sat before the fire and talked, mostly about the ball and how some of their friends had shown off; namely Fenrys. How big of a shock it had been to see Lorcan Salvaterre show up with the with the Wendlyn School champion, Essar; and how upset Elide had seemed about it.

Aelin eventually leaned over to rest her head on Rowan’s shoulder, and after a heartbeat, he rested his own against hers.

“You looked quite handsome tonight,” Aelin told him. Indeed he had. The black dress shirt and pants, the dark green jacket. His hair combed back from his face. It had been a bit difficult to breathe when she first laid eyes on him. She hadn’t been able to look away for some time.

The memory of it caused her cheeks to feel a bit warm.

But Rowan didn’t notice as he grinned. “You didn’t look too bad yourself,” he teased. “I lost count of how many girls I heard talking about your dress.” She flashed a pleased smile. “How ostentatious it was,” he clarified, and it turned into a pout.

“I had to dress befitting a Champion!” Lie, she would have worn that dress whether or not her name had been drawn from the cup. And from his sideways smirk, he was thinking the same thing.

Rowan laughed, and then said softly, “You really did look beautiful tonight, fireheart. The most beautiful girl in the room." 

His words caused her face to heat even further, and she ducked her head to hide the blush, smiling. Several people had told her how nice she had looked tonight, but it meant so much more coming from Rowan. "Thanks.”

They fell silent after that, Aelin biting her bottom lip as she glanced at him. Finally, Aelin broke the silence. “You know, I thought that you would ask me to dance,” she said, trying to keep her tone light to hide how disappointed she actually was that he hadn’t.

He blinked, tilting his head to glance down at her. “You seemed like you were having fun… I didn’t want to intrude." 

Aelin pulled back to look up at him. "You could never intrude. And I would always save a dance for you. All you had to do was ask.”

Rowan gave her a strange look, something flashing in his pine green eyes that she didn’t recognize, but it made Aelin hold her breath all the same. Until he spoke. “Dance with me now, then?”

A smile tugged at her lips, and she nodded. Rowan stood, offering her a hand, and Aelin placed hers within it, her palm sliding against his. Little shivers raced up her arm as his fingers closed around her hand. 

Rowan pulled her to her feet and led her over before the windows where moonlight was still filtering into the room through the clouds, illuminating the castles towers and Oakwald beyond, making the snow on the ground sparkle. 

A snowflake fluttered down before her nose, causing Aelin to blink in surprise. It hadn’t been outside the window, but inside the common room. Aelin tilted her head back to look up as more snowflakes began to fall around her, disappearing before the hit the carpeted floor. She glanced at Rowan to find him smiling at her.

“It’s not as grand as the Great Hall but…” he shrugged a shoulder, looking a bit sheepish.

With a grin, Aelin turned towards him, placing her free hand in his shoulder. Rowan’s hand came to rest on her waist, pulling her closer than she expected, and she could have sworn that his cheeks seemed to darken slighy in the dim light.

And they began to sway, taking small, unhurried steps as they moved in a lazy circle, dancing in the glow of the moon and the magically falling flurries. 

True to his word, Rowan never once stepped on her toes. 

After a moment, Rowan began to hum the tune of some song, the slow melody vaguely familiar to her, but Aelin couldn’t place it. 

She was so happy, her heart felt if it might burst. Smiling, she took a step closer to rest her head against Rowan’s chest, wrapping both arms around his shoulders. Rowan didn’t miss a beat, his hands moving around to her back to hold her close. He never stopped humming his little song. 

Aelin was glad her face was hidden, because she couldn’t stop the wide smile that spread across her face. And she could have sworn she felt Rowan himself smiling, his face buried in her hair. 

This. This was all Aelin had wanted from the Ball tonight. All she had wanted when she had learned of it at the start of the school year. But in this moment, with just the two of them by themselves, dancing in the light from the fire and the moon, under a magical snow created by Rowan as he hummed a song just for her, was far better than any Ball.

**Author's Note:**

> Also posted on tumblr, @westofmoon. I post snippets there. 
> 
> I do not consent to this work being hosted on any unofficial apps or to any other websites.


End file.
